and so he spake:—­
     O thou of Surippak, son of Ubaratutu,
     Leave thy house and build a ship. 
     They will destroy the seed of life. 
     Do thou preserve in life, and hither bring the seed of life
     Of every sort into the ship.

[Here follows a statement of the dimensions of the ship, but the numbers are lost.]

     When this I heard to Ea my lord I spake:—­
     The building of the ship, O lord, which thou commandest
     If I perform it, people and elders will mock me. 
     Ea opened his mouth and spake,
     Spake to me, his servant:—­

[The text is here mutilated:  Hasisadra is ordered to threaten the mockers with Ea’s vengeance.]

     Thou, however, shut not thy door till I shall send thee word. 
     Then pass through the door and bring
     All grain and goods and wealth,
     Family, servants and maids and all thy kin,
     The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field. 
     Hasisadra opened his mouth, to Ea his lord he said:—­
     O my lord, a ship in this wise hath no one ever built....

[Hasisadra tells how he built the ship according to Ea’s directions.]

     All that I had I brought together,
     All of silver and all of gold,
     And all of the seed of life into the ship I brought. 
     And my household, men and women,
     The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field,
     And all my kin I caused to enter. 
     Then when the sun the destined time brought on,
     To me he said at even-fall:—­
     Destruction shall the heaven rain. 
     Enter the ship and close the door. 
     With sorrow on that day I saw the sun go down. 
     The day on which I was to enter the ship I was afraid. 
     Yet into the ship I went, behind me the door I closed. 
     Into the hands of the steersman I gave the ship with its cargo. 
     Then from the heaven’s horizon rose the dark cloud
     Raman uttered his thunder,
     Nabu and Sarru rushed on,
     Over hill and dale strode the throne-bearers,
     Adar sent ceaseless streams, floods the Anunnaki brought. 
     Their power shakes the earth,

* * * * *

     Raman’s billows up to heaven mount,
     All light to darkness is turned.

* * * * *

     Brother looks not after brother, no man for another cares. 
     The gods in heaven are frightened, refuge they seek,
     Upward they mount to the heaven of Anu. 
     Like a dog in his lair,
     So cower the gods together at the bars of heaven. 
     Ishtar cries out in pain, loud cries the exalted goddess:—­
     All is turned to mire. 
     This evil to the gods I announced, to the gods foretold the evil. 
     This exterminating war foretold
     Against my race of mankind. 
     Not for this bare I